I Could Only Hope
by number1brawlfan
Summary: After the events of the Court of Owls arc, Bruce finds Dick lamenting in the Bat Cave. When he goes to investigate, Bruce finds that there's more bothering him than the lineage he's managed to accept. Slight AU


**This is a little oneshot that I wrote up relatively recent (I started it about a month or so ago, but I finally finished it a little more than a week ago). I was just writing out an idea that I had that wasn't necessarily a poll idea. All my poll options are being written in a set order, the modern take on Bruce Wayne Loses Guardianship of Dick Grayson being the one I'm working on as of this oneshot, and I've been (slowly) getting out a few loose ideas while working on them (basically I'm jotting down a few ideas with the intent of sharing them eventually). This idea was inspired by a concept I wanted to play around with in regards to Dick's parents and how much they may have known in regards to the Court of Owls' plans for him. I kind of like toying with the idea since we don't know how much they knew, if they knew at all. I had written one based on John telling Mary about the situation, but this one I feel is a little better written.**

 **With that all said, enjoy.**

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The inner caverns of the Batcave quietly blanketed everything within. Clad in his Nightwing uniform, Dick was comfortably seated on the edge of the uniform trophy cases. His unmasked eyes stared off into the abyss, deep in thought, as his head rested on the arm covered railing.

It had been a few hours since the Court of Owls case had officially been wrapped up and he was trying to process everything. He had accepted the recent news that his great grandfather was a Talon, but from that blossomed a whole new set of questions.

"You're still here?" Bruce calmly inquired, a few steps away.

"You kicking me out?" Dick replied.

"No. Just thought you'd have been on your way be now."

Bruce would close the gap between them, stopping right beside him.

"Mind if I join you?"

"Go ahead."

Crouching down, Bruce would join him, swinging his feet over the edge. The silence returned to the vicinity instantly. When Dick didn't immediately speak up, Bruce wasn't sure if he should be too concerned about his silence or not. On the one hand, Bruce though that he could just be tired and possible taking in the aftermath of the recent events. However, he hadn't spoken in two hours, and Dick wasn't one to go long periods of time. Rather than vocalizing these concerns, Bruce waited, figuring Dick would say something now that he had company.

"Do you think my parents would have sold me?" Dick bluntly asked.

Confused eyes shot in Dick's direction.

"Where did that come from?" Bruce inquired.

Dick let out a sigh.

"When I went to Haly's funeral, Bryan, Haly's son, said that my parents should have sold me when I had the chance."

Bruce was a little surprised by the statement. He was hurt hearing that someone had said that to Dick, at a funeral none the less.

"Am I going to have a word with him?" Bruce threateningly growled.

"No. He was drunk and grieving. I know he was upset about Haly wanting me to take over the circus, but I doubt he really meant it. However, since battling my ancestor, I couldn't help but come back to that statement. What it meant and how much my parents knew."

Dick brought his knees up. His breathing started to shake. A hand would lightly sit on Dick's shoulders as he tried to find the right words.

"For the first time in my life, I find myself questioning the very people who brought me into the world. Did they know? If they did, were they really going to give me away? Did they even care about me or was I just a tool? Did I mean anything to them?"

Tears trickled down the sides of Dick's face. He hated the doubts he was having. The skepticism, the fear, the disbelief, all of which were brought to the surface. He wanted to believe that they would never do that to him, that they loved him, but everything he believed were brought into question.

"Do you think they would have sold me?"

Placing his hand on the other shoulder, Bruce gently pulled Dick over for a sideways hug. His thumb lightly circled around Dick's shoulder. It killed him to know that Dick was feeling this lost.

"Of course I don't." Bruce whispered. "I can't speak for the dead, but from what Haly and the others told me, your parents loved you Dick and that you were their world. Quite frankly, everyone at that circus loved you from what I've been told. I could only hope that your parents would not have wanted to give you up even if they did know."

His grip would tighten.

"And if they did know, and willingly planned on handing you over, then they have no idea who they were giving up. No idea how wonderful of a man that you would grow to be."

A troubled sigh got away from Bruce.

"But at the end of the day, I just don't know. I want to see the best in them and believe that they'd never be so cruel, but they're dead and I can't be one hundred percent certain."

There was a brief moment of silence as Bruce's words continued to sink in. Even with the satisfaction of Bruce's hopeful statement, a lingering suspicion toured his mind.

"You would tell me, right?"

"Of course. After how you reacted to you reacted to your great grandfather, I'd be a fool not to. But I thought you didn't care about the Court."

"I don't care that where my heritage lies yes, but that doesn't mean I don't care about my parents' involvement. I love them Bruce, but I can't take the deceit anymore."

Gloved hands shielded Dick's eyes in an attempt to hide his tears. He still felt at lost, even with everything Bruce had said.

Bruce's thumb would resume its circling motion. He knew there wasn't much else he could say to Dick that needed to say. He knew the emotion would subside, but the uncertain turmoil would never go away.

"It's okay." Bruce whispered. "It'll be okay."

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 **Now, I have a few other side ideas started, but I'm not sure which one I'd like to finish first. If you'd like to chip in your thoughts, I do have a poll currently open. And again, this is just so that I can get a few small ideas out and it won't hinder my current work in progress (or the following pieces) all that much. it may take a bit before it gets posted, mostly because I will be focusing on my other projects, but it will get up.**


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